Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
A giant chocolate chip cookie baked in a 13x18 inch sheet pan! It's perfectly gooey and fudgy when fresh out of the oven, then it will settle into a soft and moist cookie cake that's ideal for cutting into squares. Enjoy it as-is, or decorate with vanilla buttercream details to turn it into a party cake!
Servings 54 squares
Ingredients
Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/3 Cups (267g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Cups (398g) all purpose flour
- 2 Cups (350g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Vanilla Buttercream (Optional)
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Additional Garnish (Optional)
- 2 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Prepare a 13x18 inch sheet pan by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter in 20-30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until the butter is melted. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour the melted butter on top and whisk together until uniform. Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until uniform. Whisk in the baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to fold it in until smooth cookie dough forms. Reserve 1/2 Cup of the chocolate chips and set them aside, then add the remaining 1 1/2 Cups of chocolate chips into the cookie dough and fold until evenly dispersed.
- Add the chocolate chip cookie dough into the prepared sheet pan and use an offset spatula to spread it all the way to the edges in an even layer. It will seem like a very thin layer, like you have just enough dough but don't worry – it's the perfect amount and will rise beautifully in the oven.
- Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and bake for 14-16 minutes, until it looks golden brown on the edges and set. It might seem soft in the middle but don't be tempted to over-bake! It will continue to bake on the cookie sheet out of the oven. 14 minutes is the perfect amount of time for my oven.
- Let the cookie cake cool completely to room temperature before frosting, or if you decide not to add the buttercream feel free to enjoy it warm.
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- To create the look of the frosted cookie cake pictured, begin by tinting the buttercream, if desired. I divided the buttercream into two separate bowls and used 1 drop of AmeriColor Electric Purple in the first one to create a light pastel purple, then placed 2 drops of the same color in the remaining bowl to create a slightly darker pastel purple.
- Place the light purple buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 6B and pipe stars all around the (cooled) cookie cake border. Sprinkle the piping with rainbow sprinkles (I used this blend by SprinklePop). Place the lighter purple buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 10 and handwrite a message in the center of the cookie cake.
Notes
*cornstarch makes this recipe extra soft. If you can't find it locally, you can substitute it for 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Don't have a 13x18 inch pan? That's okay! You can bake this recipe on a smaller baking sheet, but note that you will have extra dough left over. You only want the dough to be about 1/2 inch thick when spread on the sheet.
Make Ahead Tips: This sheet pan chocolate chip cookie cake can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or wrapped with plastic wrap over the top of the sheet pan). They will remain fresh for up to three days this way. Alternatively, you can freeze the sheet pan cookies for up to one month. I recommend wrapping them first in plastic wrap, then in foil.